Web end connector



July 28, 1959 F. L. DAVIS 2,896,288

WEB END CONNECTOR Filed Jan. 11, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

FRANK L. DAVIS ATTORNE July 28, 1959 F. DAVIS 2,896,288

WEB END CONNECTOR Filed Jan. 11, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 5

INVENTOR.

FRANK L. DAVIS TTORNEY United States Patent WEB END CONNECTOR Frank L.Davis, College Point, N.Y.

Application January 11, 1957, Serial No. 633,611

1 Claim. (Cl. 24-230) The invention herein disclosed relates to theconnection of the ends of webs or straps together or to other parts suchas various forms of anchorages.

Special objects of the invention are to providea quick connectible andquick disconnectible form of fitting which may be attached to the web orwebbing in various ways and which while readily releasable will beentirely safe and secure in its holding position.

Other special objects of the invention are to provide a connector whichmay be either adjustably or nonadjustably engaged with the web and toprovide such connector with means by which it may be locked in thesecuring condition.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a web connector whichmay be released in different ways, to meet different requirements orconditions. I

A further object of the invention is to provide a connector of thecharacter indicated which may be used for many different purposes, suchas to secure articles of different size and shape.

Additional objects are to provide such connectors in simply constructedform, light but strong and adapted to be produced at low cost.

The foregoing and other desirable objects are attained by novel featuresof construction, combinations and relationof parts, all as hereinafterdescribed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

The drawings referred to forming part of the specification areillustrative of several different embodiments of the invention, butstructure may be further modified and changed, all within thetrueintentand scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed. I

Fig. 1 in the drawings is a' front elevation of a snap connection formof the invention provided with slack takeup means. i

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same-with broken lines showing therelease position of the spring closed holding jaworhook. e

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view as on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 showingthe web looped about the slide pin in position to be gripped against thecompanion fixed pin.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a fixed web form of the connector havinga lock for securing the holding jaw in the closed position V Fig. 5 is aside elevation of this second form of the invention. e r

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view as on line 66 of Fig. 4indicating the web stitched or otherwise attached to the cross pin, thelocking slide shown in full lines in released position and in brokenlines in the locking position. A

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are perspective views illustrating the connector ofFig. 1 as used with a loop or ring on th end of another web or the like.

Fig- 10 is a front elevation of a form of connector for use with a floorstud form of anchorage.

Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the same with broken 2 lines indicatingthe release position of the locking or securing member.

Fig. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view on substantially the plane ofline 1212 of Fig. 10.

Fig. 13 is a bottom plan view of such connector with the.

circular outline of the floor stud indicated in brokenlines.

Fig. 14 is a side elevation showing the connector equbipped with aone-way cam for adjustably securing the we In the several embodiments ofthe invention illustrated, there is a quick attachable and detachableconnecting member and a pivotally connected form of yoke by which thedevice is attached to the end of the web.

The yoke may vary in construction according to how it is to be attachedto the web and the connecting member may vary in construction accordingas to what or how it is to be connected to the same or another length ofweb or to some form of anchorage or securing device.

In the first form of the invention shown in Figs. l3, the quickattachable and detachable coupling comprises a channel shaped bodymember 20 having parallel side walls or flanges 21 slotted inwardly fromthe end at 22 to receive the companion coupling element and carrying inback of the slotted portions a pivot stud 23 on which is pivotallyengaged the reversely channeled latch or hook member 24. V I

The side walls 25 of this hook member are beveled inwardly at 26 acrossthe slot 22 and terminate in a shoulder 27 for holding the companioncoupling element, rod, bar or the like, at the inner end of the slot,Figs. 2 and 3. A spring 28 coiled about the stud and engaged in itsopposite ends with the inner faces of the reversed channels 20'and 24serves to hold the hook element normally closed in the body channel asshown in Fig. 3.

Opposite ends of the hook channel are shown as extended at 29, 30 toconstitute finger holds for lifting or depressing these opposite ends toopen the hook to the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 2. The frontor outer leverage handle portion 29 is shown perforated at 31, Fig. 1,to take a wire, chain, cord or other connection for releasing theholding hook from a distance.

The web yoke is shown as made up of generally parallel links 32, Fig. 1,pivotally engaged on the outer protruding ends of the pivot stud 23 andcarrying at the outer ends a fixed cross pin 33 and, inside that, aslide cross pin 34 operating in inclined slots 35 in the side links.

Fig. 3 shows how a web 36 may be looped about the slide pin 34 forgripping about the overstanding abutment pin 3.3 to provide a slacktake-up for the web, such web being free to be drawn up at the innerside against fixed pin 33 but locking automatically when a load is putupon the outer run of the web extending up from slide pin 34.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the Web yoke issimplified to the extent that there is only one cross pin or stud 33 atthe end of the links about which the end' of the web 36 is looped andsewed or otherwise fastened together as shown in Fig. 6.

There is provided in thisform of the invention a special locking memberwhich will secure the connector hook positively in the closed relation.w

This lock is shown as a slide 37 vheldto-the underside of the hook byarivet pin 38 extendingthrough-a slotz39 in the slide and the latterhaving at the inner end a transversely extended abutment portion 40reaching back orv downward to the inner face of the body channel.

This transversely extended backportionhas rounded corners as shown at41, Fig. 6, so that when the slide is.

. hook. However, when the slide is pushed inward-to the dotted 'lineposition shown, the abutment portion 40 will 3 underlie the innerleverage handle part 41 of the hook and in engagement with the bodychannel form a positive bar to the rocking movement of the hook.

A flat spring 42 secured to the inner face of the slide by rivet 38forms a detent holding the locking slide in either the outer free, orthe inner locking position.

An angularly turned finger hold'43 provides convenient means forshifting the slide into inner locking position or the outer freeposition.

' 'Figs. 7, 8 and 9 show how the device may be used for connecting orreleasing opposite ends of the same or two different lengths of webbing.

In Fig. 7, the coupling, like that illustrated in Fig. 1, is shown aboutto be engaged with the end ring, loop or eye 44 of a length of webbing45, which might be the opposite end of web 36, the hook 24 being raisedto admit the cross bar of the loop into slots'22 by thumb pressure onthe inner handle member 30.

Fig. 8 shows the coupling completed and Fig. 9 shows how the parts maybe immediately released by simply lifti'ng'the-outer handle '29 of thespring closed book.

At any time in this construction any slack in the web may be taken up bypulling on the free end of 'the weband if more slack is required, thismay be attained by rocking the'yok'e frame 32 about the pivot center 23,to release pressure of the cross' slide against the fixed cross pin,whereupon the web is free to be drawn out as much as need be.

Figs. -13 illustrate a holddown form of the connector adapted for usewith a floor stud or similar type of anchorage.

The connecting or coupling member consists in this case of a U-shapedloop 46 having parallel sides 47 suspended from the cross pin 23 of theyoke and connected at the bottom by a straight flat bar portion 48slotted inwardly from one edge at 49 to form a fork which will passabout the neck and engage beneath the head of the floor stud 50.

Means are provided for locking this forked yoke in engagement with thefloor anchorage, comprising a small U-piece 51 having parallel sides 52engaged between the sides of the coupling yoke on pivot pin 53 andcarrying a gate 54 to form a closure over the open end of the slot 49.This gate portion is shown as having an inwardly extended flange 55 atthe bottom to enter beneath the head of the stud as shown in Figs. 12and 13.

The pivot pin 53 is shown located at the back of the coupling yoke 46 sothat the gate will close downwardly over the open end of the slot and sothat the gate cannot be forced open by transverse load on the coupling.

A spring 56 coiled about the pivot pin 53 and in abutment at one endwith the cross pin 23, Fig. 12, serves to tension the gate memberdownwardly in the holding or locking position.

An angularly extended handle 57 at the upper edge of the gate providesconvenient means for lifting and releasing the same, Fig. 11, indicatingin broken lines this lifting releasing action.

Fig. 14 illustrates a further variation of the web attachment yokewherein adjustment of the web is provided by a one-way holding cam 58mounted in a U-fra'me 59 pivotally hung on the outer cross pin 33 of theweb attaching yoke.

In this case, the web is shown looped about the cross pin 33 and held bythe cam against stationary cross bar 60in the frame 59.

This construction provides the advantages of quick attachment anddetachment and complete length adjustment of the web. 7

In ;all constructions, the pivotal connection between the coupling meansand the web attachment yoke enables the device to fitclosely about oragainst articles of different size and shape and to accommodate itselfto various corners and angles. The web may be fixedly or adjustablysecured in the yoke and the connector in any the constructions shown inthe first group of figures, the coupling can be effected with a snapaction by simply pushing the connector over the bar, loop or otherterminal element. In the floor stud type of connector shown in Fig. 10,the coupling can be effected by simply lifting the latch member andslipping the connecting hook over the head of the stud or other form offloor anchor.

In this and in the form shown in Fig. 4, the parts are or may be lockedin the securing position and -be rereleasable only when the lockingelement is released. In all instances, the parts can be engaged orsecurely held but are instantly releasable upon intended action to thateffect.

All connectors are of simple, strong, durable low cost construction,relatively light in weight and take up small space and are thereforereadily adaptable for use with webbing such as commonly employed forsecuring and holding purposes.

While capable of holding heavy loads, the connector can be instantly andeasily released because the release action is in a direction transverseto the load on the connector.

In the forms of the invention shown in Figs. l-9, the bevel '26 of thespring closed holding jaw or hook enables the connection to be effectedby a simple push movement and snap engagement of the jaw over thecompanion coupling element such as a bar, ring or the like. Thestructure is of simple design enabling it to be readily adapted todifferent web widths.

Quick release can be effected by thumb pressure on the inner end orfinger lifting action or pull of a cord or other connection on the outerend of the spring closed holding member. Accidental release is preventedby the locking slide in Figs. 4, 5, 6 form of the invention and thespring closed gate closure prevents accidental release in the hold downfloor stud form of the invention, Figs. 10-13.

The small cam added to the web hook, Fig. 14, provides for free andquick length adjustment of the web.

The channeled body member 20 and the reversely faced lever 01' hookchannel 24 fitting within the same form a box structure, one partpressing and reinforcing the other. The book closing spring is locatedwithin this box fully housed and protected. The single pivot stud 23 isa further reinforcement and serves to pivotally connect the two mainparts 20 and 24 and also to pivotally connect the web yoke thereto.

What is claimed is: p

a A quick attachable and detachable web connector comprising a bodymember in the form of a channel having spaced parallel side flangesslotted inwardly from one end to accommodate the complementary member towhich the connector is to be connected, a pivot stud connecting theopposite end portions of said side flanges, a hook lever in the form ofa smaller reversely faced channel having spaced parallel side flangesentered between the side flanges of said body channel and in pivotalengagement on said stud, said side flanges of said lever channel havingbeveled end edges faced toward the slotted end of the body channelflanges and abrupt transverse hook shoulders in back of said beveled endedges positioned for holding engagement with a pin or other complementalconnector member entered in said slots, a spring coiled about said studin the space between said side flanges of the lever channel havingopposite ends engaging opposite inner surfaces of said opposed channelsfor yieldingly holding the lever channel seated in said body channel,means for rocking said lever channel about the pivot stud center inopposition to the force of said spring, a yoke of generally parallelside arms en- 5 free ends of said side arms of the yoke for seeming aweb thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS688,503 Cross Dec. 10, 1901 731,707 Putnam June 23, 1903 744,875Neumeier Nov. 24, 1903 6 Flannery Dec. 31, 1907 Hutton Oct. 13, 1908Adams Jan. 15, 1918 Batcheller Jan. 17, 1939 M112 et a1. Apr. 4, 1939Trees Apr. 28, 1953 Davis June 21, 1955 Ross July 9, 1957

